Existence (or Green and Grey)
by The Periodic Table of Converse
Summary: Annabeth Chase died on the night of her own birthday party. Percy knows- he was watching her being lowered into the ground a week later. So why does it seem that she only ever existed to him? Part one of three in the Green and Grey Series.


**Green and Grey**

**1. Existence**

**- O -**

**Annabeth Chase died on the night of her own birthday party. Percy knows- he was watching her being lowered into the ground a week later. So why does it seem that she only ever existed to him?**

**Rated T for vulgar language**

**- O -**

_**A friend who dies, it's something of you who dies.**_

**-****Gustave Flaubert**

**- O -**

When Annabeth Chase wanted something done, by God, it would get done.

So when Annabeth Chase told Percy Jackson, her best friend in the world that her birthday was coming up and Percy had better not try anything, so help her, Percy was determined to get the one-up on her for once. Namely, by throwing her a party, just for the two of them, with pizza and lemonade and he had already picked out a present, so why not? It was her birthday, and Percy was determined to make it a memorable one.

He spent his entire weekend in the forest, tucked away in a little clearing with half-rotted picnic tables and rusty trashcans, hanging a tarp to protect the bash from the predicted rainstorm coming in that day, because he couldn't have the weather ruin Annabeth's sixteenth birthday. Not if he had anything to say about it. Call Percy Jackson what you want, but he was a die-hard friend to the end.

Her birthday came and Percy got up at five in the morning to cart an armful of chips out there, and then to top it all off he came and threw rocks at her window. The look on her face was definitely one for the memory books.

"Percy," she had demanded impatiently. What kind of person woke you up at six on your birthday? "What do you want?"

And Percy had said nothing, because aside from being a great best friend, he was good at keeping secrets. Annabeth had yelled at him the entire five minutes it took to walk down that trail to the clearing. She wouldn't admit it, but Percy Jackson had touched her heart.

Besides the tarp meant to keep them dry during all of their hardcore partying- including doing things like having cupcake eating competitions, playing Twister, and trying not to puke after making the foolish mistake of scarfing down those cupcakes before becoming human pretzels for the sake of competition- there was a cooler of canned pink lemonade, Annabeth's favorite drink, and a box of olive pizza from Pizza Hut.

"Percy…" she'd said, out of breath from the rigorous 'Happy Birthday Tickle-Fight' Percy had bestowed upon her on the way there. She never finished. At the time she didn't have to. He knew.

Their day was spent lounging under the ugly orange sheet, eating pizza, flicking olives at each other, and one interesting instance where Annabeth had poured a can of lemonade down the back of Percy's shirt. He had proceeded to whip it off and throw it into the trees, while Annabeth groaned and buried her head in her hands.

"What, Annabeth? Do you find this… rather distracting?"

And Annabeth had replied that no, she just wasn't in the mood to lose her lunch, and besides, nobody could pull off stealing Finnick O'Dair's thunder (even though yes, Percy shirtless was certainly a bit too much on a day as perfect as that one was). So Percy had flicked an olive at her with a sour frown while Annabeth giggled and ducked as it went sailing by.

So the two teenagers whittled away the hours together, until late at night, when the time was nearing eleven o'clock, Annabeth had looked over at Percy sitting beside her and yanked him towards her without a second thought. And then their lips were meshed together, and Percy's hands were on her waist and Annabeth's fists were clenched tightly in Percy's stiff and citrusy smelling t-shirt.

When they separated, Percy had pressed a small box into her hand and picked her up and carried her home. He dropped her off on her front porch and wished her goodnight.

It wasn't until hours later, when Annabeth's head finally stopped buzzing from their kiss, that she opened the box.

And she smiled.

- O -

Annabeth Chase died on the night of her own birthday party. Percy knows- he was watching her being lowered into the ground a week later. So why does it seem that she only ever existed to him?

- O -

Percy returns to school with a broken heart. So his best friend is now dead. Make him go to school anyways.

He swears his mom is cold-hearted when she tells him to get up, he's going to be late.

- O -

"Mr. Jackson. Would you please share with the class your answer to the essay question on the board?" Percy slowly raises his head from the crook of his elbow. At the front of the room stands today's stand-in teacher for Mr. Brunner, Mrs. Dodds, who normally only gets pre-algebra to torture him, smiling her sickly sweet grin at him. She knows he's not feeling good, maybe because she knows Annabeth is dead, maybe because he didn't sleep a wink last night, but she knows he's halfway ready to blow his top.

Instead of losing his temper, Percy smiles back hesitantly and peers at the whiteboard over the heads of his fellow classmates. Written in scraggly cursive is the prompt: _Out of the twelve Greek Olympians, which do you think is the least deserving of his or her throne. Please explain._

Today is the twenty third day Percy's history class has spent on Ancient Greek customs and religions. Normally Percy doesn't care, he's fine with it even, but today he's definitely not in the mood to deal with this garbage.

Maybe it's because Greek mythology is- no,_ was_- Annabeth's favorite hobby. She always talked about Athena, her favorite goddess, while they took walks or got Diet Cokes from Mr. D's shop down the street.

But now Annabeth isn't here because she's dead, gone, and now she can't talk about Athena or architecture, and she will never get to see the St. Louis Arch or the Parthenon or the Hoover Dam because she is dead, and hell, why is Percy even at school today?

He supposes he's taking too long to answer the question because Mrs. Dodds prompts him. "Percy Jackson, you will answer me or you will report to the principal immediately." So Percy does the only thing he can do to prevent from shattering right then and there in the middle of third period: he declares, "F*ck this," and leaves the room, slamming the door on the way out.

It's like Annabeth never even existed at all.

- O -

Thirty minutes and a very loud smashing fest leaves Percy Jackson sitting in a too-large chair in front of the principal's too-wide desk. The principal of Goode High School is a man named Chiron Brunner, also coincidentally Mr. Brunner's twin brother. To avoid confusion, Chiron Brunner is called Chiron and his brother, whose first name nobody really knows, is addressed as Mr. Brunner.

"Percy," Chiron begins, leaning forward to smile at the distressed teen. "What is it that has you in such a bad mood? I thought you were improving on sleeping in class."

Percy stares ahead, resolve still going strong. Chiron sighs.

"Percy, I can't help you if I don't know how to help you."

Nothing.

"Nothing leaves this room."

Silence.

"Percy, will I have to call your mother?"

Percy's mom may have made him come to school today, but she doesn't need his crap on her plate, not when she's stressed from trying to land a contract with a publishing company and every one she's met with had turned her down flat.

So Percy takes a deep breath and lets everything spill out.

His explanation takes a good ten minutes, and when he's done, Percy takes another five to express his dissatisfaction that nobody gives a damn that Annabeth is gone.

Chiron says nothing when Percy is finally silent once again.

"Well?" He snaps impatiently. "Say something."

So Chiron does.

And Percy shakes his head and covers his ear but he the words keep coming back and he cannot forget them as long as he lives, because, _"Percy, "Annabeth never existed."_

**A/N: Yes! Stuck the landing and everything. Ten plus reviews for part two: **_**Annabeth Chase died on the night of her own birthday party. Percy knows- he was watching her being lowered into the ground a week later. So why did he see her today at the docks, waving and smiling at him and dangling her feet over the edge?**_


End file.
